Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, has vocalized his dissatisfaction with yesterday’s news concerning the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) reinstating the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA). As reported, despite the original standards for Russian reinstatement not having been met, WADA‘s Compliance Review Committee (CRC) suggested that RUSADA be reinstated under amended criteria, officially ending a near-3-year suspension.
When asked about the controversial decision while taking part in the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum, Phelps responded, “When is an organisation going to fully take responsibility and take charge to change? Because that’s not what sports is.”
The 33-year-old dad of two boys continued, “Sports aren’t about putting performance-enhancing drugs in your body and standing up and performing. It’s sad to see this.” (First Post)
Phelps has been a vocal advocate of anti-doping practices including testifying before the United States Congressional Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in February 2017, speaking on ways to improve and strengthen the anti-doping system.
The 23-time Olympic gold medalist said in Hong Kong this week, “I’ve complained about it, I’ve testified about it. And still nothing changes. So I guess that then leads us here and where do we go next? What else can be done?
“Somebody has to take charge and if WADA‘s really not going do anything about it then somebody else has to.
“It’s frustrating to see an organisation like that (WADA) do this to sports. I mean I’ve talked about multiple years, I don’t know if I’ve ever completed in a clean field. That’s pretty sad, that at the Olympic Games, at world championships, that you can say that. I’m just upset.”
Phelps also spoke with the point of view of being a dad. “For me being a father, that’s something I’m going to tell my kids and explain to them. It’s just so disappointing to see that.”
And Phelps wasn’t the only high-profile athlete to voice a strong opinion concerning the route WADA chose to take. American backstroke force Ryan Murphy tweeted that he was ‘so disappointed by WADA‘s decision’, while recently-retired British Olympian Lizzie Simmonds called the move a ‘huge step backwards in the fight for clean sport.’
Thanks for your leadership Travis. I'm so disappointed by WADA's decision https://t.co/bp6JqAC5aw
— Ryan Murphy (@ryan_f_murphy) September 21, 2018
It’s a dangerous precedent to set and is a huge step backwards in the fight for clean sport.
In the world of anti-doping there is no such thing as compromise. This case should have been no different.
— Lizzie Simmonds (@LizzieSimmonds1) September 20, 2018
Anything to do with Russia and Russian gov-t doing unimaginable things to control elections, governments and athletes is so popular in the West , because is it resembles a movie plot. In reality, most of it is far from truth. McLaren report is a bunch of assumptions , not facts, based on , oh yes – a noble whistleblower, Grigory, or Greg, as he now probably call himself. Trumps elections investigation is the same s***t. Sad is not that RUSADA was reinstated, sad is when you take these kinds of stories for being real, whereas, I guarantee you, someone like Michael Phelps could not care less whether it would affect any of his clean athlete buddies , because …it does… Read more »
Here’s some statistics on russian doping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doping_in_Russia#Statistics
“WADA publishes annual summaries of anti-doping rule violations (ADRV).
Russia ranked first in the world for ADRVs during 2013, 2014, and 2015.
Yearly Anti-doping rule violations (ADRV)
2013 – Russian ADRV 225 – Total world ADRV 1953 – Russian proportion 11.5% – Russian rank 1 – As of 15 May 2015
2014 – Russian ADRV 148 – Total world ADRV 1647 – Russian proportion 9% – Russian rank 1 – As of 21 Feb 2016
2015 – Russian ADRV 176 – Total world ADRV 1901 – Russian proportion 9.3% – Russian rank 1 – As of 31 Jan 2017
Due to doping violations,… Read more »
1. If you’ve followed the site for a while, you’ll know that SwimSwam has covered doping news consistently across the past 6-7 years. From my perspective, the 2016 election has not affected their coverage or tone on Russian doping articles
2. I’m sure Michael Phelps still cares about the sport and would hate to see it get worse even if he’s no longer affected. Allowing doping to have greater influence, regardless of who does it, would worsen the sport. We don’t want swimming to become like cycling or baseball.
3. It doesn’t matter if Americans are still on top of the podium (which often they are not). There are many other countries who are disadvantaged by it. Even… Read more »
Can’t agree with other parts of your comment, but “Sad is not that RUSADA was reinstated, sad is when you take these kinds of stories for being real” is exactly what I’m thinking about. First-world propaganda wins. People think they know the truth, but the fact is they only see what they are expected to see.
“I’m disappointed Michael Phelps was allowed to compete after two DUIs.” – Yulia Efimova, probably.
Efimova has one DUI herself
https://swimswam.com/yulia-efimova-arrested-in-december-in-california/
Alcohol is not illegal. No doping.
It was until 2018, though. The first Olympian to be disqualified for use of a banned substance was a Swede banned for alcohol use in 1968.
I wait hero Phelps come back.
Russian and Kenya must disqualifing caused serious doping cases and cheating. I wait hero Phelps come back.
Very good. Please make come back 200 metres individual medley. A. Leveaux coming out of retirment after 5 years. He is French hero in 2008 bejing 4×100 metres relay.
Very good Michael. Please make come back 200IM. Leveaux coming out of retirment after 5 years. He is frensch hero in 2008 4×100 metres relay.
I agree with Phelps, Russia’s anti doping agency worked to provide cover for athletes taking PEDs. That’s bad.
Michael Phelps, Lizze Simmonds, and Ryan Murphy +1 Good job speaking out. Watch ICARUS.
It was heartening to see a number of other swimmers who showed leadership by taking to social media to denounce the WADA move, including Rowdy Gaines, Connor Jaeger, Lilly King, Katie Ledecky, Cody Miller, Adam Peaty, Leah Smith, Andrew Wilson, and perhaps others. Would have been nice to see even more immediate outrage from the swim community, the USOC, NGB leaders, LA 2028 leadership, and others. Either some of them left Travis Tygart and USADA out to dry on this, or intentionally deferred to him. Hope it is the latter.
The USA Swimming Athlete Committee released a statement on the issue. https://swimswam.com/usa-swimming-athletes-committee-we-insist-that-wada-stands-with-us/
Yes, the USA Swimming Athlete Committee released a statement prior to the decision, but nothing after the decision. And where is Tim Hinchey on the issue? And where are the five swimmer nominees running for election to the USA Swimming Board (Adrian, Coughlin, DiRado, Gemmell and Tarwater)? Phelps is really not the best person to be USA Swimming’s or USADA’s athlete spokesperson. Why is no one in authority at USOC, USA Swimming, other NGB’s pushing back on WADA and the IOC to demonstrate that there will be financial and other consequences for their decisions?